A Kosovo government spokesman said on Wednesday that the Special Prosecutor’s summons for Prime Minister Albin Kurti to testify is an attempt to influence next year’s elections.

Spokesman Perparim Kryeziu said that a court ruling stopped Kurti from standing in the February 2021 elections and added that the goal of the summons is to interfere with the electoral process. “The goal is the same but the method has changed,” he added.

Kryeziu said that Kurti met with his party’s officials earlier to finalize the Vetevendosje list of candidates for parliament in the coming elections.